After exiting the wormhole, the black and red lions crash on an unknown planet. "You okay, Red?" Keith asked his lion. When he pulled on the controls, nothing responded. "Okay. We'll fix you up. We had a tough battle."

The paladin left his lion and headed outside. He examined his surroundings and saw no signs of life. "Where are we? Where have we landed?" He gasps as he remembers Shiro and Arcadia were dragged out along with him. "Arcadia! Shiro!" He hoped the two could hear him as he shouted their names over the comms, but he received no response. Deciding to search for them, he locked onto Arcadia's mana signature. With the high concentration of magic in her body, it wasn't difficult to find her location.

Keith jumped off his lifeless lion and followed the marker his helmet provided. He ran as fast as he could and used his jetpack as much as possible to reach Arcadia's destination as quick as possible. When he arrived at a towering mountain, the boy reached his first major obstacle to reach his girlfriend. "How am I supposed to climb this?"

The coordinates led directly to the top of the mountain and he wasn't giving up. Keith remembered seeing the blood on the floor back in the hangar. He knew she was injured and probably couldn't hear him through the comms. His heart was racing and his mind was full of worry for the young girl. He paced back and forth for a few minutes before an idea popped into his mind. He called upon his bayard and activated it, forming his usual red blade. "Guess this'll have to do."

Keith jumped up and activated his jetpack. When it gave out, he buried his sword into the stone and dangled for a few seconds before repeating the process over and over again until he reached the top. The boy grinned as he hauled his body over the ledge and onto solid ground. He dispelled his bayard and glanced around, spotting Arcadia immediately. "Arcadia!"

The alchemist was still in her dragon form and laid on her good side. Her eyes were shut and her breathing was shallow. Keith dashed over and placed his hands on her muzzle. He saw the pieces of metal protruding from her side and the blood trickling down her white scales, tainting the snowy color with a deep crimson hue. Deep inside, he knew it was his fault she was injured. He was the one who wanted to face Zarkon and all Arcadia did was protect him. In the end, she ended up being the one severely injured and not him. He leaned forward on his hands and ran them up and down her scales. "Arcadia. Arcadia! C'mon! Open your eyes!" He begged, his voice shaking.

When Keith's shaky voice reached her ears, Arcadia's eyes opened slowly and her pupils dilated into their usual sable slits. She huffed out her nostrils, grabbing the boy's attention. "Hey, hey. Don't move. You're bleeding and there's metal embedded in your side. I'm gonna pull the pieces out."

"Wait," he heard her weak voice over the communication link. "Don't remove the metal."

"What? Why? You're in pain!" He shouted at her, his hands moving to under her jaw.

"If you do... I'll bleed out. Until we get back to the castle, the metal shards remain where they are."

Keith couldn't argue with Arcadia's thinking, knowing she was right. He sighed, giving up on trying to persuade her. "Alright. Are you okay to walk?"

She nodded and slowly climbed to her feet. He placed a hand on her side as she steadied herself. As she was ready to go, the duo heard Shiro's voice from their communicators. "Keith, Arcadia, are you there?"

Keith quickly tried to respond and hoped the static would clear up. "Shiro, can you hear me? Shiro?" More static erupted and the boy tried once again. "Shiro, are you there?"

"Are you alright?" Arcadia tried herself as her eyes scanned her surroundings.

"Shiro, are you there? Answer me!" Keith shouted.

"Keith. Arcadia, I'm here." The older boy lets out a painful grunt as his end went silent.

"Shiro, it's Keith," the red paladin responds as he and Arcadia glance over the edge of the mountain.

"Keith. Keith, I'm here. I'm okay," Shiro explains, his breathing slightly heavy.

The younger paladin chuckled at hearing his friend's voice. "Shiro, you made it."

"It takes more than a glowing alien wound, a fall from the upper atmosphere, and crashing into a hard pan surface, at what I'm guessing is about 25 meters per second squared, to get rid of me. How are you?" He asked nonchalantly as if it were a casual conversation.

"Oh, is this one of those "algorithms" Hunk mentioned back on the galra outpost?" Arcadia completely forgot about the link and just spouted what she was thinking over the comms. "Sorry, that was purely thought. It just... slipped out."

Shiro chuckled hearing Arcadia's soft voice. "It's nice to hear you're safe, Arcadia."

"Arcadia's injured and she's losing blood little by little and my lion's busted. Wait," Keith pauses for a brief second, replaying the black paladin's words in his head. "What wound?"

"It's nothing," he sighs.

"Hang on, we're coming."

"On second thought," he whispered. "You'd better hurry."

The comm goes silent on Shiro's end and the duo face the main problem at hand. Keith peered over the edge another time before trying to hatch up a plan. Arcadia brushes her tail against Keith's back to get his attention. "I'll fly us down. It's not far."

"No. You're injured and we can't afford you to collapse," he responded sternly. Mentally, the girl sighed and picked up the paladin without his permission. "Hey! Put me down!"

"No. You know this is the only way for both of us to get down. Just shut up and enjoy the free ride." Arcadia flapped her wings, growling in pain as she descended the mountain with Keith in her grasp. Once back on solid ground, she released him and rested her wings on her back. "See? Not that long of a flight."

"I'm not gonna pretend like I didn't hear that growl. No more flying from here on out," he harshly stated, glaring slightly at her.

"No promises..." She mutters.

"I heard that!"

<—————<<<<<<

The duo reached a flat area of the planet as Keith was the guide to Shiro's location. As the two were crossing the silent plain, they heard hissing and growling from the comms. The red paladin stopped in his tracks and contacted their leader. "Shiro, what happened?"

"There's several creatures," the older boy whispered.

"What do they look like?" Arcadia inquired, wondering if she could verify the planet they were on based on the wildlife.

"Large, purple, four red eyes, and tusks. Do you know a species like that?" Shiro questioned curiously.

The girl sighed, unable to put the image to any species she knows. "I'm sorry, Shiro. I'm afraid I've never seen a creature as you described. We truly are on an unknown planet."

"Don't apologize, Arcadia. We were sucked into a wormhole and onto a random planet. No one expects you to have all the answers."

"He's right. There's no need to apologize," Keith said, backing up Shiro's kind words with his own. To show her affection, Arcadia lowered her head and nuzzles Keith's chest. "Thank you."

Keith rested a hand on top of her head and rubbed her scales with a smile. Before he could respond, the ground beneath them cracks with a rumble. "Huh?"

"What's that noise?" The dragon pulled away from Keith, her hearing picking the sound of rushing water underneath their feet. Feeling the boiling water rushing toward the surface, Arcadia grabbed the boy and took off into the sky, dodging a spout of boiling water that broke through the surface where they were once standing.

A yell of surprise left Keith as he felt his feet leave the ground. The comms were still activated and Shiro heard his friend's shout. "Keith, Arcadia, are you both okay? What happened?"

"Minor delay, but we're on our way. How are you?" Keith asked, trying to avoid explaining the situation he and Arcadia were in. The ground cracked further and more geysers erupted from the ground, forcing Arcadia to dodge them as she flew.

"I'm all right, but I'm trapped in a cave and some nasty-looking creatures have me cornered," Shiro said, his voice slightly hoarse.

Keith gritted his teeth when he felt a rush of heat to his left. A geyser nearly hit him and Arcadia as more boiling water bursted through the surface. The hot water splashed on the dragon's scales, earning a low growl from her. Keith glanced up at her to make sure she was alright, but he couldn't even get her to look at him because of how hard she was concentrating on flying and dodging.

Eventually, they reached a large ravine and Keith demanded Arcadia to put him down. She did as he demanded and set him down a few feet from the edge. "Keith, it'd be easier and safer if I flew you over."

"No," he growled. "You're injured and shouldn't be moving around too much. You're staying here and I'll find a way across."

"You plan on leaving me here all by myself?"

"What? No! I'd never do that! It's just... you can't push yourself."

"Then, let me fly us across. It's not safe here."

Keith sighed, but he didn't give in. "No. I'll find a way across." Arcadia remained silent as the paladin inhaled deeply before exhaling. "Patience yields focus."

"That really stayed with you, didn't it?" The duo heard Shiro's exhausted voice.

"You've given me some good advice. If it wasn't for you, my life would have been a lot different. And now..." Keith stole a glance and smiled at Arcadia. "I've got someone else who's special, too."

Shiro chuckled lightly. "Yeah. You wouldn't have crashed a flying lion on an alien planet and be stuck with little hope of rescue. So, you're welcome. Arcadia's the only good influence you have." He coughed violently, worrying the two teens.

"Stay with us, Shiro." Keith held his bayard and it transformed into a sword. He slashed at the ground, creating a geyser and using the stone to ride the heated water. Arcadia watched as the stone crumbled underneath Keith's feet due to the heat of the water. When she thought he had reached the other side, he lost velocity and began falling into the ravine. Arcadia acted quickly and jumped into the ravine. She spread her wings, gritting her sharp teeth in pain. Keith screamed as he tried to use his jetpack, but he didn't make it far before it failed.

The dragon swooped in and snatched up Keith, flying up to safety. "Told you it'd be easier and safer."

"Keith! Arcadia!" Shiro shouted in concern.

Keith grunted in defeat and decided to let the draconian carry him. "Hang on. We're on our way."

"Good," he sighed. "Because these guys just started digging.

Keith crawled out of Arcadia's grasp and onto her back. His helmet picked up on the black lion's signal and he gave the dragon directions. When they reached a plateau that overlooked a valley, the two spotted the lifeless mechanical beast. Keith chuckled in victory at the sight. "Shiro, we have a visual on the black lion." The only thing they heard on Shiro's end was screaming and the sound of snarling. "Shiro, what happened?"

Arcadia descended and landed beside the black lion. Keith jumped off her back and heard the familiar snarling he and the dragon heard over the comms a few minutes ago. The duo saw Shiro collapsed on the ground, holding his right side while he was surrounded by creatures. Without sparing a second, Arcadia went to the black paladin's aid. Keith reached out to stop her, but he knew the dragon was much stronger than him. "Wait, Arcadia!" The boy turned and faced the black lion, hoping it would answer his call. "I know I'm not Shiro, but he's in trouble. We need to help him."

As the monsters circled Shiro, fear overtook the paladin. Sweat dripped from his forehead as his wound ached, siphoning the air from his lungs. As one creature pounced on him, something swatted it away from him. Shiro's gray eyes widened when he saw a shadow loom over him. He glanced up and saw Arcadia's large form overhead as she released a thunderous roar, frightening the creatures and forcing them back a few feet.

The largest creature of the group charged forward and attacked Arcadia. The dragon jumped forward and snapped her jaw around the monster's body, causing it to whimper in pain due to her sharp teeth digging into its skin. "Watch out!" Shiro shouted as he saw the other creatures bounding toward the dragon. The pain from the metal embedded into Arcadia's side caused her to wince and drop the creature from her jaw. It scampered off, but the remaining ones were closing in. She tried to breathe fire, but the pain was overbearing and she closed her mouth.

Shiro scrambles to his feet and activated his arm, noticing the pain Arcadia was in and readied himself to defend her. Before he could strike a single monster, something smacked into it and crushed it into the ground. Above Shiro and Arcadia was the black lion, using its tail to swat away the creatures. The remaining monsters snarled at the metallic lion and tried to attack it, but the mechanical beast lashed its tail around and batted them away. The black lion let out a mighty roar, causing the unknown creatures to scurry away with their tails between their legs.

The black lion lowered its head and opened its mouth, allowing Keith to exit and rejoin his companions. He rushed over to Shiro and offered him a shoulder to lean on. The older boy grunted in pain as he was steadied on his feet. Arcadia watched as the black lion's eyes seemed to meet her own gaze with an eerie, yellow glow. When she took a step forward, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She immediately laid down and rested her head on the ground, her eyes sealed shut.

The moment Arcadia felt a hand on her muzzle, her eyes slowly cracked opened. She saw Keith's concerned lilac eyes and knew he was far beyond worried. "I'll be fine, Keith."

"Listen, Shiro and I are gonna go and retrieve Red. We'll be back shortly." The boy brushed a hand over her white scales, trying his best to send a smile her way.

Arcadia closed her eyes once again, worrying Keith further. "Alright. I'll wait here."

The two boys left in the black lion to retrieve Red. Arcadia laid on her stomach, resting her paws on the ground with her wings furled up and her tail curled into her inured side. She wasn't worried about the creatures returning due to their fear of the black lion. Even though the metallic beast wasn't present, she still doubted they'd return just for her.

After what felt like hours was only a few minutes. The paladins returned with both lions and landed a few yards away from Arcadia. They left their lions and the dragon didn't even peek through her eyelids or say a word when they returned. Keith's worry consumed every inch of his being as he walked over to his significant other. He placed both of his hands on her neck and stared at her chest. When he saw her breathing was deep and even, he sighed in relief.

Shiro watched as Keith slid down to the ground, his back resting against Arcadia's body. With the warmth radiating off her body, it was enough to keep warm without needing a fire. The black paladin walked over and sat by his teammate, reclining against the dragon's warm body. "Thanks for saving me, both of you."

Keith reclined his head against Arcadia's scales. "You'd have done the same for us. How's your wound?"

"My wound's great. It's getting bigger all the time." Shiro glanced at Keith and saw he only worried him further. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Hang in there. When Allura and Coran find us, they'll fix you right up."

The conversation dwindled, but Shiro revived it. "Keith, if I don't make it out of here I want you to lead Voltron."

Keith couldn't believe what his dearest friend was saying. "Stop talking like that. You're gonna make it."

At the sound of their chattering, Arcadia awoke and lifted her head. She saw the two paladins didn't notice her and she lifted her tail and placed the tip of it against Shiro's wound. The black paladin gasped in shock and pain as he felt the appendage against his injury. The top of her tail radiated a light green as she stared down at the older boy. After the light dissipated, she lifted her tail and laid it in front of the two boys. "That should help with the pain until we can get you proper care."

Shiro glanced down at his wound as the pain vanished. His eyes darted up to Arcadia's and he smiled. "Thanks, Arcadia. The pain's gone."

Keith glanced at the dragon as she laid her head next to him. "What was that?"

"Healing alchemy. The incantation is missing a few elements, but it is able to ease pain in its current stage. Once I complete the spell, it should be able to heal wounds." Her eyes closed as she talked and Keith placed a hand on top of her head. His eyes trailed over to the metal shards that were still embedded in her side and saw the blood continuing to trickle down her white scales.

Shiro followed Keith's gaze and saw the metal, cringing at the sight. "I hope the others find us soon."

The younger boy nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Me, too."